The 24-year-old man accused of hitting four first responders after driving into the scene of a crash investigation while drunk is facing multiple assault charges, according to court records.
Benjamin Winters was arrested Dec. 7 by the after he allegedly drove around police barriers and hit two South Adams County firefighters and two Commerce City police officers who were investigating a separate DUI crash on westbound Interstate 76.
Winters is charged with vehicular assault while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, vehicular assault related to reckless driving and three counts of third-degree assault on a peace officer, according to court records.
Westbound I-76 near U.S. 85 was blocked off and officers were directing traffic to the right shoulder when Winters, driving a Toyota Tacoma, tried to drive on the left shoulder around the blockade instead, according to an arrest affidavit.
Winters allegedly collided with the cable guard rail before hitting two firefighters. The vehicle continued westbound and hit two officers and a police vehicle, according to the affidavit.
One firefighter was taken to the hospital with a broken leg and a closed head injury, according to the report. A firefighter and two officers were taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Winters was the sole occupant of the vehicle, according to the affidavit, and a state trooper reported he smelled of alcohol and was slurring his speech, according to the affidavit.
Winters consented to an alcohol blood test after the crash, the results of which were not included in the affidavit.
A judge set a $10,000 bail in the case, and Winters is set to appear in court on Jan. 4 for a preliminary hearing.
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